The present invention generally relates to desk furniture, and more particularly to a furniture assembly designed to be placed in a corner and to support a personal computer and associated devices.
The proliferation of personal computers in recent years has profoundly altered the conduct of office work, and has changed the focus of entertainment and family activities within many homes. Current data reveals that at least one-third of all homes in the United States are equipped with a personal computer, and the industry expects this number to double within a few years. Aside from traditional work-oriented tasks such as writing, graphics, and data processing, computers in the home are typically used for game playing, student homework, educational tasks such as keyboard training and math and spelling drills, and research on CD ROM-based data resources. In addition, the expanding interest in network connection of home computers has greatly increased the potential for in-depth research, message transmission, home shopping, and the like.
The advent of personal computers has also changed the landscape of a typical home. Video displays, alphanumeric keyboards, modems, scanners, CD ROMs, and the like now occupy many desks and work surfaces that were not designed for computer use. In particular, the typical office desk lacks the depth (front edge to back edge) to support a computer and all the peripheral devices noted above, while also providing sufficient space to establish a comfortable work area. The keyboard area is often too shallow, and the computer user is typically required to sit closer to the monitor than is desirable or optimal. Moreover, an office desk is usually too large and obtrusive for comfortable use in a home environment.
Given the fact that most homes are replete with furniture used for non-computer functions, the addition of a computer and its peripheral devices may comprise a burden on existing furnishings. It is generally true that many corner areas in a home are not well utilized. Corners often become the repositories of objects, such as audio speakers or bookshelves, that must be placed out of the way of interior traffic patterns. Corner areas could be exploited beneficially for computer installations, particularly in view of the fact that corners are "quiet areas" that are naturally isolated from noise and interference.
However, standard office desk designs are not well adapted for use in a corner area. Desks that have sufficient horizontal space for a computer and the usual peripheral devices may not fit in a corner area, whereas a desk that fits into a corner may be too small for computer use. Moreover, corner areas generally include a large vertical space that is not well served by a standard desk design. Thus there exists in the prior art an unmet need for a furniture unit that is adapted to fit into a corner area and that includes sufficient lateral surface area to support a computer and related devices in an arrangement that is ergonomic and inviting.